Modern wallpaper options have evolved drastically over the last few decades, rendering irrelevant the old days of limited motifs and arduous wallpaper application and removal methods. Today’s designer wallpaper options comprise such a great variety of materials, textures, motifs—as well as far easier application processes—that electing to include contemporary wallpaper in your interior design projects is no longer something to be dreaded, but, rather, eagerly anticipated.

With so many choices available in the modern wallpaper category, though, it’s particularly important to think carefully about what you expect your wallpaper to accomplish—in other words, whether you expect it to be the focal point in a room, or one element in a harmonious visual statement. To this end, some basic parameters may help you in your quest to select modern wallpaper designs that inject personality and dimension without overwhelming a room’s other equally important components.

More isn’t always better with contemporary wallpaper designs.

There’s no doubt that today’s modern wallpaper motifs include designs so striking and beautiful that you may feel compelled to include them in a room. But remember that impact has everything to do with understanding when enough is enough. Using good judgment when deciding how many walls of a room to cover is vital.

A particularly bold or colorful designer wallpaper motif might be an ideal choice for a room, but covering just a single wall may create the impact you’re searching for, while swathing an entire a room may be overwhelming. Contemporary interior designers have made the accent wall an interesting visual device, illustrating that a well composed room doesn’t have to involve treating every wall in the identical manner.

The proportion of wallpaper to the other elements in the room should inform in your modern wallpaper selection (and application) in the same way that selecting modern furniture and accessories does.

Temporary wallpapers take the fear out of long-term commitments.

If you’re keen on experimenting with contemporary wallpaper, but still find yourself unable to commit to a specific pattern, consider temporary wallpaper. Every bit as beautiful as traditional wallpaper designs, temporary wallpapers are amongst the cool wallpaper options that don’t necessitate committing to a design that you love, but which you might fear growing tired of in a couple of years.

Self-adhesive, and easy to remove, reposition, or replace, temporary modern wallpaper designs can be installed yourself in a matter of hours, providing instant gratification for a fraction of the effort. An extensive range of motifs—floral designs, geometrics, children’s illustrations—make temporary wallpapers perfect for any room, and offer the huge advantage of allowing you to experiment with smaller areas before deciding on a larger wallpaper project.

Modern wallpaper doubles as art.

Today’s designer wallpaper options are so innovative and original, they no longer qualify simply as wallpaper, but as large-scale artistic statements. Designs that are hand screened, for instance, make each wallpaper roll wholly unique, so take full advantage of that fact. While you always have the choice of using wallpaper in a subtle way, modern wallpapers also provide the opportunity to make unique and compelling creative statements, blurring the line between design and art.